Ask The Editors: Why Does My ATV Stall In Gear?
Process of elimination.
The trouble here is the culprit can be one of literally dozens of possibilities. Your investigation has to begin based on whether this is new behavior or if the machine has always done this. Does letting it properly warm up before attempting to take off help any?
At its simplest, this could be a result of running bad gas in the machine. Ethanol is especially bad for small engines and doesn’t take long to cause fuel to absorb dangerous amounts of airborne moisture. Start by draining the old fuel from the carb and running fresh fuel.
A fouled out spark plug can cause similar maladies. As could a faulty breather vent tube on your gas cap. Start with all of the simplest possibilities first, ruling them out one at a time.
If the obvious culprits check out okay, it’s time to dig deeper. A clogged fuel injector is the next possibility to investigate. Have you tried running a quality fuel injection cleaner through? Check your fuel lines for obstructions as well.
If investigating the fuel delivery system doesn’t reveal the problem, it’s time to consider the electrical system. A bad ground or loose connection somewhere along the wiring circuits can cause a rapid shit down. Grab a multi-meter, set it to resistance (ohms) and check your wiring by placing your probes on either end of wiring runs.
If you don’t locate any short circuits, it’s time to do the same thing with the individual components – particularly the CDI unit. Does the ignition stay active when it stalls? Accessories like your headlights still functional?
If you can rule out electrical component failure, check your valve tolerances.
In short, there is no quick and easy answer to this one. Diagnosis will have to come from process of elimination. Make a check list and just work your way through it until you land on the culprit.
